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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteAWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) controls who can sign in to AWS and what an authenticated person or workload is allowed to do. Think of it as three parts: an identity makes a request, a policy describes permissions, and a resource is the AWS service or object being accessed. Having an identity does not automatically grant access; AWS evaluates the request against applicable permissions and other controls. AWS’s IAM overview explains the service and its role in an AWS account.
What IAM does—and what it does not do
IAM is AWS’s access-control service. It handles authentication—the process of proving an identity—and authorization—deciding whether that identity may perform a requested action on a resource. For example, a person might authenticate to AWS and request permission to read an object in storage. IAM policies and other applicable controls determine whether that request is allowed.
IAM is not the AWS account itself, a billing system, or the service being accessed. It governs access to AWS resources; it does not replace the services that store files, run applications, or manage databases. AWS notes that IAM changes can take time to propagate, so a successful save should not be treated as proof that every workflow can use the change immediately.
Which identity should you use?
AWS has several identity options. The right choice depends on whether access is for a person or a workload, whether credentials need to be long-lived, and whether access should be centrally managed or cross accounts. AWS recommends temporary credentials for human users and workloads where possible, rather than making long-lived IAM users the default. See AWS’s comparison of IAM identities and credentials.
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| Identity | Typical use | Credential pattern | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root user | Account-owner tasks that specifically require root | Account-level sign-in | Has complete access to the AWS account; not for everyday administration. |
| IAM user | A specific person or use case that genuinely requires a persistent IAM identity | Can use long-term console credentials or access keys | Long-lived credentials increase the need for careful storage, review, and rotation. |
| IAM role | Workloads, delegated access, and cross-account access | Assumed to obtain temporary credentials | Defines who may assume it and what the resulting session may do. |
| IAM Identity Center workforce identity | People who need managed access to AWS accounts and applications | Centralized sign-in with role-based access | Supports workforce access without creating a separate long-term IAM user for each person. |
Protect the root user
Every AWS account begins with a root user, which has complete account access. AWS strongly recommends not using it for normal work. Protect it with MFA, keep its credentials secure, and reserve sign-in for tasks that require root specifically. Use a separately managed workforce identity or an appropriate role for routine administration.
Use roles and temporary credentials for people and workloads
A role is an identity that an authorized person or service can assume. Assuming it provides temporary credentials, which reduces reliance on permanent access keys. Roles are also AWS’s primary method for cross-account access. For a person in an organization, IAM Identity Center can centralize workforce access and make role assumption part of sign-in. For an application or other workload, use an appropriate role rather than embedding long-term credentials in code.
When an IAM user may make sense
IAM users can still fit specific cases that require long-term credentials, but they should not be the automatic choice for every employee or application. If a use case requires an access key, protect it, avoid committing it to source code, and review whether it remains necessary. AWS’s IAM security best practices favor temporary credentials and regular access review.
How IAM policies determine access
A policy is a permission document, usually written in JSON. It describes actions, resources, and—when needed—conditions. An identity policy is attached to an identity, such as a user, group, or role. A resource policy is attached to the resource and can specify which principals may access it. A role also has a trust policy: it controls who or what may assume the role. The role’s permissions policy separately controls what the assumed role can do.
- Identity policy: permissions granted to an identity.
- Resource policy: permissions specified on a resource.
- Role trust policy: principals allowed to assume a role.
- Permission boundary: a maximum-permissions limit that can constrain an identity’s permissions.
Effective access may depend on more than one policy and on broader controls, such as organization policies or session policies. An applicable explicit deny overrides an allow. As a result, attaching an allow policy does not necessarily mean a request will succeed. AWS details these policy types and evaluation considerations in Policies and permissions in IAM.
Start narrow and refine permissions
Grant only the actions and resources needed for a task, adding conditions where they meaningfully restrict access. Avoid treating broad permissions such as * actions or AdministratorAccess as a safe permanent default. A managed policy can be a starting point, but it may be broader than a particular person or workload needs. Review actual activity and reduce permissions as requirements become clear.
Beginner setup: safer access in practice
- Secure the root user: set a strong credential, enable MFA, and do not use root for daily tasks.
- Choose a human-access path: for organizational workforce access, use IAM Identity Center where appropriate; otherwise use a role-based approach suited to the account and task.
- Use roles for workloads: give applications and services temporary credentials through roles rather than embedding long-term access keys in code.
- Grant task-specific permissions: attach narrowly scoped policies for the actions and resources required, and check for applicable resource policies or explicit denies.
- Review access periodically: remove unused credentials and permissions, and verify that changes have propagated before relying on them in production.
Strengthen and review IAM security
Enable MFA for human access. AWS recommends phishing-resistant methods such as passkeys and security keys where possible. If you choose a security key for MFA, confirm that it is compatible with the sign-in method and identity provider you use.
Review permissions and credentials regularly, removing ones that are no longer needed. IAM Access Analyzer can identify external access to supported resources and help generate policies based on access activity. External-access analysis is regional: enable an analyzer in each AWS Region where supported resources need coverage. Other Access Analyzer capabilities, including unused-access analysis and customer policy checks, may incur charges. Details are in AWS’s guide to IAM Access Analyzer.
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Does AWS IAM cost money?
AWS offers IAM, IAM Identity Center, and AWS Security Token Service (STS) at no additional charge. That does not mean every service accessed through IAM is free, or that every Access Analyzer feature has no charge: external-access analysis is free, while unused-access analysis and customer policy checks can incur charges. Check the feature’s current pricing and your account’s other service charges when planning usage. AWS’s IAM overview describes IAM’s service cost information, and Access Analyzer documentation distinguishes its analysis capabilities.
Learn IAM with AWS’s guidance
For AWS’s own introductory material and tutorials, start with Getting started with IAM. It is a practical next step after understanding identities, roles, and policies.
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